New York City FC Head Coach Domènec Torrent has made one change to his lineup for the showdown with DC United.
Eloi Amagat makes his second start for the Boys in Blue in place of the suspended Alex Ring as the only alteration from the side which started against New England three days ago.
That means it's the same strike force, with David Villa, Valentin Castellanos, Maxi Moralez and Ronald Matarrita in the most advanced positions, backed up by Amagat and 18-year old James Sands, who starts for the second time in a week.
At the back, Alexander Callens and Sebastien Ibeagha partner up between Anton Tinnerholm and Ben Sweat ahead of Sean Johnson in goal.
With eight players missing through a combination of injury, international duty and suspension (Berget, Chanot, Herrera, Medina, Ofori, Ring, Tajouri-Shradi, Wallace), there are just six substitutes named.
Kick-off is at 4.55pm at Yankee Stadium - listen live at NYCFC.com/Radio or watch live on Univision Twitter.
NYCFC XI: Johnson, Tinnerholm, Callens, Ibeagha, Sweat, Sands, Amagat, Matarrita, Moralez, Castellanos, Villa (C)
Substitutes: Stuver, Scally, Awuah, McNamara, Lewis, Bedoya
OPTA STATS
- NYCFC has the slight advantage in the all-time series against D.C. United (4W-3L-0D). United, however, have won two of the last three games against the Cityzens, despite being outscored 6-5 in those three games.
- New York City has just one win in their last seven MLS games (4L-2D), failing to keep a single clean sheet in that time.
- D.C. United have lost just two of their last eight games (5W-1D). Over this period, United has won each of their five games in which they have scored multiple goals.
- NYCFC took 28 shots (inc. blocks) in Wednesday’s shutout loss, tied for the second-most shots a MLS team has taken in a shutout loss in league play since 2010.
- Wayne Rooney is tied for the fifth-most goals+assists for D.C. United with nine (four goals and five assists), despite playing just 11 games. No other player in the top five for United has played fewer than 22 games.
- NYCFC have scored 12 goals in the last 15 minutes of first halves this year, the most of any team in MLS. D.C. have conceded nine goals in the last 15 minutes of first halves this year, tied for the fourth most of any team in MLS.
- Steve Birnbaum has won 521 aerial duels in regular season action since coming to MLS, 80 more than any player in the league since the start of the 2014 season.
- David Villa took eight shots in Wednesday’s defeat. He is one of three MLS players with multiple games of 8+ shots taken, along with Toronto’s Sebastian Giovinco (seven times) and LA Galaxy’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic (five times).
- Luciano Acosta has six goals in his last six D.C. United appearances, after scoring one in his first 18 games of the season.
- James Sands was involved in 10 total duels on Wednesday night (with a 40% success rate) the third most of any NYCFC player in the game.
